Keynote

Addressing Complex Social Problems through Collective Impact

Existing approaches are not solving our most pressing social problems. Many organizations work hard but in isolation, disconnected from the expertise and resources of their peers in the community. In order to create lasting solutions to social problems on a large scale, organizations — including those in the education, government, nonprofit, and business sectors — need to coordinate their efforts and work together around a clearly defined goal.

This approach, known as collective impact, is a significant shift from the social sector’s current paradigm of "isolated impact." The underlying premise of collective impact is that no single organization can create large-scale, lasting social change alone; there is no "silver bullet" solution to systemic social problems, and these problems cannot be solved by simply scaling or replicating one organization or program. Strong organizations are necessary but not sufficient for large-scale social change.

In his keynote, David Phillips will describe how coalitions from around the country are successfully using collective impact to address issues from homelessness to college readiness and success. David will begin by discussing the theory of collective impact, and then dive into the “how to” of a few key collective impact components.

Presenter

David Phillips, FSG Social Impact Consultant

Last Updated: March 10, 2014